The Importance of Influence

Organizations produce a product or service to generate revenue. They have systems with which to create those products or services and people to manage the systems. To manage the people, organizations have structures and management procedures and practices. To function effectively, organizations need departments with specialized functions and skills to operate efficiently, which makes organizations complex.

Different divisions and departments end up with their own policies,
practices, and procedures, which may or may not be aligned with those of the
organization. As organizations grow and/or diversify, they become even more
complex. On top of the internal workings, there are the external factors
involving clients or customers, business partners, vendors, suppliers, and
contractors, all of whom, in one way or another, have to work together to
accomplish success.

Because of internal stratification and external complexity, there could
be barriers to getting work done or accomplishing a goal, which may require
cooperating cross-functionally or influencing peers or others over whom one
has no direct organizational or contractual power. In many cases, people may
be part of a project team, in a work group, or in a cross-functional unit,
having to use influence to get something accomplished or get the job done.
To be successful, you may need to exert influence upward to sway the boss;
horizontally to get others to assist, cooperate, or perform; and possibly
downward to convince direct reports to do their very best rather than the
minimum to get by. There is a greater need to manage upward and laterally in
business today.

Influence

Everyone has a boss as well as peers. To be successful, one must be able
to work effectively with any or most of them. The lifeblood of this process
is influence. In all likelihood, to be successful at your job, you must be
able to "sell" an idea or project, persuade coworkers or peers to provide
support and/or resources, or get people to do something that they may not
necessarily want or need to do. The ability to move others to achieve
important objectives is most effective if you can find a way to couch it in
terms where everyone wins (you, me, and the organization). An underlying
principle of persuasion is that people expect reciprocity in the process. To
be able to persuade effectively, you must create win-win trades when in
difficult situations or when dealing with difficult individuals or groups.

This is especially true of construction. The construction process
involves a large group of organizations that come together to build a
facility or structure. There are three major teams involved: the owner, the
designer, and the constructors. A number of groups may be involved in the
owner team, including but not limited to senior decision-makers and
financial, legal, operational, and maintenance professionals, to name a few.
An architect will most likely head up the designer team, with a number of
primary and secondary consultants. And the constructors may include a
construction manager, a general contractor, and a number of subcontractors.
Sub-subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers may also be involved. In many
cases, there is no contractual relationship between many of them. Because of
the interdependent nature of construction, all these organizations and
parties will need to work cooperatively to successfully complete the
project.

Doing business is getting more complex. There are greater time pressures,
the need to do more with less, more competition, and higher pressures on
profitability. There are fewer middle managers. Employees are expected to
take on more responsibility and decision-making.

Technology is changing rapidly, and knowledge is growing exponentially.
People are expected to keep up, and there seems to be little time for
training and development. There is a greater need to bring together diverse
groups of people to work cooperatively to achieve success. With all the
complexity and interdependence, the ability to wield influence is becoming
more and more important to one’s ability to function effectively in the
organization.

Safety is another aspect of the building process that requires
cooperation as well as active participation from all the builders and their
crews to achieve an injury-free work environment. The safety personnel
usually do not have positional power and therefore cannot make anyone work
differently. Safety practitioners and professionals need to be involved in
all aspects of the business from estimating to purchasing to contracts, as
well as planning and field operations. This addresses exposure risk in a
holistic and comprehensive manner. Then, during construction, safety
personnel need to convey ideas to subcontractor staff as well as to workers
to get them to accept the suggested recommendations and implement them. To
accomplish this seamlessly and effectively, they will have to be able to
persuade and influence others.

Construction poses a unique challenge due to the fact that there are
contracts between the various parties, and one company cannot direct the
workers of another company to work differently. This falls under the precept
of "means and methods." There are many ways to exert influence—by rational
persuasion, inspirational appeal, consultation, ingratiation, personal
appeal, formation of a coalition, or relentless pressure. According to
Robert Cialdini, six basic tendencies of human behavior come into play when
exerting influence to achieve a positive response. These are:

Reciprocation

Consistency

Social validation

Liking

Authority

Scarcity

These six tendencies affect business and organizational dealings, social
involvements, and personal relationships. Therefore, understanding and
utilizing this knowledge effectively will not only make us successful in
business but also enhance our relationships and our lives.

The Six Basic Tendencies

To use the art of influence, it is important to build relationships. Good
relationships lubricate the process. Building goodwill is an important
aspect of the art of persuasion. It is easier to ask people we know and who
like us for a favor than to ask those who do not. Also, to exert influence
effectively, one must be perceived as being competent, making reasonable
requests, and having the good of the organization at heart. This provides
credibility—you are working for the good of the organization, which benefits
everyone, and are not just selfishly looking out for yourself.

Reciprocation

Reciprocation is at work when you try to effect an affirmative response.
It is about exchange—give and take. It is about exchanging something of
value in return for something you may need or want. There is an expectation
that a favor will be repaid at some future date. This is known as the law of
reciprocity.

In all societies, a norm obligates an individual to repay in kind what
they receive. This allows people in organizations and business situations to
gain cooperation. Most people usually have some working level of the art of
influence. The process of winning outcomes includes an analysis of who can
give what is needed and then, in return, an identification of what they may
need that you can provide and how best to present it. It also requires
flexibility when making the request and a readiness to make adjustments
based on the nature of the response.

Consistency

We are driven to remain consistent in our attitudes, declarations, and
actions. If we take a position or agree with something, we tend to try to be
consistent later. So, we can initially try to get agreement with something
innocuous or reasonable and then ask for something more substantial that we
actually want. Because of consistency, others are more likely to respond
affirmatively to the second request after having agreed to the first.

Social Validation

When people are uncertain about what action to take, it's normal to look
to others to see what they are doing. This is known as social validation. We
try to get an idea of what is acceptable or makes sense given the
circumstances. In a weekly coordination meeting, I was trying to achieve a
general consensus from the group on the steps needed to achieve that week's
goal, which included advanced planning for safety. I found few takers. There were a myriad of reasons why it could not be
done. Not wanting to repeat the failure, the following week, just prior to the
coordination meeting, I explained to three participants the importance of
the topic and the need for their verbal agreement with me at the meeting. As a result,
when I brought up the subject again, about a third of the attendees readily agreed with basically the same
suggestion that they had shot down the prior week and, after some discussion, we
achieved general consensus.

Liking

It is a proven fact that people are most comfortable with those who are
more like them or think like them. We are more likely to say yes to people
we like than to those we do not. So, what are some of the factors that may
influence likability?

Research has shown that factors that enhance likability are physical
attractiveness, appearance, having things in common, things we are familiar
with, and people who compliment us. Recognizing this, we can actually work
on developing and improving rapport. Salespeople often try to create a
connection between them and the customer.

A difficult designer was not very open to suggestions, but after we
socialized a couple of times and got to know each other, he seemed more
receptive to discussing other ideas and looking more favorably at
alternative suggestions. Cooperation is another factor that has been shown
to enhance positive feelings and behavior. So, agreeing with the other
person or doing something for them can be useful in achieving your
objectives.

Authority

The rule of authority tells us that people are almost instantly
deferential to those in a position of power. This includes persons in
leadership positions and those who have special knowledge, impressive
credentials, or even just an air of confidence. The things that may
influence us include titles, clothing, trappings, or knowledge.

When a speaker is introduced and his/her credentials presented before the
presentation, more of the audience will tend to agree with the speaker’s
position, receive him or her better, and give more positive reviews.
Authority is good, but credibility is even better. Credibility results from
expertise and trustworthiness. You become trustworthy when people understand
and agree with your intentions. You become more trustworthy and influential
when it becomes evident that you truly believe what you are saying. This can
be especially useful when dealing with project safety.

Scarcity

The perception of being in competition for limited resources has a
powerful motivational effect. This becomes even stronger if immediacy is
added to the mix. The effect of scarcity on human judgment is demonstrated
when a buyer "is sitting on the fence" and the real estate agent tells them
there is another potential buyer with cash who has seen the property and
will be back tomorrow with his spouse to put in an offer. The fence-sitter
reacts and responds quickly. On construction projects, time is generally a
limited resource, and the potential to save time may be used to achieve
compliance.

Barriers

When a good working relationship exists, getting something done may be as
easy as asking for it. Sometimes, though, it's not that easy. The art of
exerting influence becomes important when others fail to respond as
requested. A barrier to influence may be a lack of common goals, priorities,
or agendas, or a lack of common ground. They want something in return for
their cooperation that we may have difficulty providing. Enmity, rivalry,
and/or politics may be involved.

Look inward for barriers to exerting influence successfully. These may
include such things as lack of working knowledge of the art of exerting
influence, not preparing sufficiently, becoming discouraged too quickly, or
failing to try different means or approaches. Perseverance, in most cases,
pays off. Fear of rejection or negative reactions and not presenting the
request in a win-win manner are also potential barriers to success.

Conclusion

The competitive marketplace, the rapid growth and use of technology, and
the need to work efficiently require decisive and "smart" employees. This
necessitates that people quickly and effectively resolve issues and get
things done. Less dependence on organizational power and more on earned
power makes for agile responses to solving problems. The art of influence or
persuasion is a powerful and necessary tool in organizational life. Even
better is using it effectively to carry out tasks and achieve goals
successfully. Mastering the art of influence is a powerful tool in ensuring
one’s success within the organization.

Opinions expressed in Expert Commentary articles are those of the author and are not necessarily held by the author's employer or IRMI. Expert Commentary articles and other IRMI Online content do not purport to provide legal, accounting, or other professional advice or opinion. If such advice is needed, consult with your attorney, accountant, or other qualified adviser.

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